Going back in time, the cold wind after World War II was like a knife, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for hegemony, and the shadow of the Cold War loomed over the world. The United States, a powerful country, with its economic strength and strategy, finally saw the collapse of the Soviet Union in the long river of history, and became famous in World War I.
But today, as we turn to the east, a new and ancient dragon is slowly rising. China, a country with a long history, has become an important engine of the world economy in the spring breeze of reform and opening up. The United States, frowning and the story of the Soviet Union still fresh in its mind, began to examine the emerging adversary.
At this time, we heard Lee Hsien Loong's voice, saying: "China is not the Soviet Union, and it will not disappear in the confrontation between China and the United States." This sentence, like a fresh breeze, awakens the sleeping reason. So, will the fate of the Soviet Union repeat itself in China? Perhaps the answer is not so simple.
The reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union were complex and varied: the collapse of ideology, the economic crisis, and corruption at the top...... These factors intertwined and led to the collapse of a superpower. The United States played an important role in this, and both ideological warfare and economic blockade accelerated the process of disintegration of the Soviet Union. But China is very different from the Soviet Union.
China has a profound cultural heritage, from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to today's inclusiveness and openness, China's ideological flexibility and inclusiveness are far from comparable to those of the Soviet Union. The patriotism and cultural self-confidence of the Chinese people are the spiritual peaks that stand firm one after another.
Economically, since the beginning of reform and opening up, China has gone through ups and downs, but it has made steady progress and become the world's second largest economy. Although the Sino-US trade war has been magnificent, it has not crushed China, but has stimulated China's ability to innovate and develop independently. In many fields such as science and technology, education, and infrastructure, China is increasingly demonstrating strong international competitiveness.
The United States may be able to put some pressure on China technologically, but China's development cannot be stopped by lockdowns. Huawei's example has proven that even in the most difficult circumstances, Chinese people can still be self-reliant and break out of their cocoons to become butterflies.
But that doesn't mean China can rest easy. In the face of pressure from the United States, China needs to be more rational and calm, adhere to peaceful development, and continue to promote economic transformation and upgrading. In the international arena, China needs to give full play to its wisdom and responsibility to seek peace and development with other countries.
Today, the United States seems to be powerful, but it also has many internal problems, from social divisions to economic difficulties, from political stalemate to cultural conflicts, and the United States itself needs to deeply reflect on and reform. China and the United States, as the two major countries in the world, should put aside their prejudices, seek cooperation, and jointly contribute to world peace and development.
Yes, the United States could survive the USSR, but China was not the USSR. In this era of challenges and opportunities, the story of China and the United States is far from over. We hope that the two countries can jointly write a new chapter of peace and development for mankind on the basis of respect and understanding. Lee Hsien Loong's fair words are not only an affirmation of China, but also an expectation for the future.